Working
with the Legislature to make a number of improvements to the state’s
newly created mitigation fund, Florida Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink
Wednesday commended legislation moving through the House of
Representatives that will expand protections and access to the services
available through the My Safe Florida Home program.

Sponsored by State Representatives
Trey Traviesa (R-Brandon) and Franklin Sands (D-Weston), the House
legislation (5A) includes new requirements for wind inspectors to pass a
Level 2 background check which includes fingerprinting, removes
obstacles for low-income homeowners without insurance to participate in
the program and creates a study committee to further explore additional
ways to help Floridians strengthen their homes against hurricanes.

“I share the Legislature’s goal of
ensuring the proper protections are in place and serving a greater
number of Floridians through the My Safe Florida Home program,” said CFO
Sink. “This program provides valuable information, and we are finding
that many homes are better fortified than are currently recorded by
insurance companies. Many homeowners are eligible to receive discounts
from their insurance companies without even making a single
improvement.”

The My Safe Florida Home program was created by the Legislature during
the 2006 Legislative Session. Former CFO Tom Gallagher created an
initial pilot phase of the program comprising more than 13,000 home
inspections, which has ended. As homeowners receive their completed
inspection reports, they will learn the potential improvements they can
make to their homes, along with applications for matching grant funds of
up to $5,000.

More information about the
program is available at
www.mysafefloridahome.com. To date, the My Safe Florida Home
program has received more than 65,000 applications for wind inspections.
CFO Sink will continue to work with the Legislature to make the
necessary improvements. Additional applications will be processed once
the program restarts, as early as March.

“We are currently evaluating the My
Safe Florida Home program to determine the best course of action going
forward,” said CFO Sink. “I want to make certain that Floridians are
given the tools and information they need to fortify their houses and
keep their families safe during hurricanes.”